Following a successful first project in 2012, when 51 volunteers from across the Island surveyed their local area for bats, the Manx Bat Group is again running Bat Search over the summer months. Anyone over 16 can get involved to help conserve the Island’s bats.
Bat Search is looking for new volunteers to go out at least three times during the summer months to watch and listen for bat activity. Volunteers will monitor a 1km-square area in their own locality over June, July and August, enabling them, and the Bat Group, to get to know more about neighbourhood bats on the Island.
Volunteers will attend one or more training evenings in different locations around the Island to learn how to use a bat detector and how to complete the Bat Search recording sheets. They will receive on loan all the equipment needed to carry out the surveys, including a bat detector.
Chairman of the Manx Bat Group, Bob Moon, said: “Bat Search 2012 was a great success, involving 51 people monitoring bats in 35 locations across the island. Many volunteers had no previous wildlife or conservation experience, but got enthused to discover more about the bats in their local area, and most people are taking part again this year. The information gathered during Bat Search is of crucial importance in helping to protect our local bats, and the project provides a great opportunity to be part of a hands-on wildlife project. All that is needed is enthusiasm and a little time; the Manx Bat Group will supply everything else.”
It is hoped that Bat Search will now be an annual project, and the data gathered will build over the years to help underpin the conservation work of the Bat Group, as well as continuing to raise awareness of bats among Island residents and encourage the involvement of those who are new to bats and wildlife conservation.
New volunteers can sign up for Bat Search by emailing batsearch@manxbatgroup.org or phoning Bob Moon on 612067.
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